Up in Pine forest not far from Maurice Mills and a new place to walk the dog.
I was watching a Male Crossbill high in the tree tops when it dipped down I was trying to find the bird as I started to see Red Squirells feeding on the Pine cones, very hard to see , but once found easy to follow.
I havnt seen a Green winged Teal since 2010 at Bell Harbour.
Yet again Bell Harbour turns up another 14 years later, I dipped on the bird last week and turned up again early morning at high tide yesterday to no birds in the estuary......i went wandering but returned as the tide was dropping to find hundreds of ducks had come in, and there over to the left was this busy fella.
Its always worth checking the grain spillage around the Horse fields near Seafield , plenty of Chaffinch, Linnet, Skylark and Reed Bunting can be seen but the gems are the Tree Sparrows that mix with the flock.
Starting at Blackhead with just some Great northern Diver and Black Guillemot, the next stop is into the shade of Gleninagh hills at Coolsiva Harbour where birds can be seen offshore with the scope, 8 Black throated Divet, plenty of Great nothern divers and around 80 Common Scotor.
Round to Ballyvaughn where pairs of Red breasted Merganzer, flocks of Wigeon and Brent Geese. 2 Long tailed Duck were being follow by a Herring Gull
The 1st Swell of 2024 was around 2M 14 secs and West,A four day swell with very light offshore winds, some mornings were icy ay -2'c .
Im proud to find my injury problems behind me and an opportunity to get some consistant, surfing done locally around home.
I love to come into the Ludo NP in the Ria Formosa , every time I come it shares a wildlife moment me.
A fantastic place to get close to water birds and miles of good walking in predominantly good weather.
Flamongos, |Spoonbill, Avocet, Black winged Stilt, Black tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Sanderling , Common Sandpiper and Caspain Terns.
Raptors were here too with Osprey, Booted Eagles, Marsh Harriers and Peregrine all seen within the walk.
Pochard, Pintail, Shovelar and Gadwall made up the ducks and a I found a 1st winter Red-rumped Swallow that has overstayed hawking the pond with Crag Martins
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| Osprey |
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| Spoonbill |
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| 1st winter Red-rumped Swallow |
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| Crag Martin |
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| Pochard |
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| Peregrine Falcon |
Around the hotel and most of the beach front of Praia de Faro that shows shrubbery you could find one of 3 birds. Black Redstarts (Iberian type) flit around rooftops and gardens, Chiffchaffs seemed to be everywhere in most available shrubbery and Sardinian Warblers that are real locals.
A male Black Redstart will always catch the eye, and these Iberian types are very Black, but as usual they are always at a safe distance and if not they will just leave, come back later ,they like a favorite perch.
Just south of Faro are miles of deserted beach and back beach that holds a great concentration of Gulls, Cormorants, Flamingos, Terns and waders.
Even though this in walking distance from the Hotel ,Its an area that is off the beaten track and an area that I saw from the plane a few years back and wanted to check out.
Mostly this area is inaccessible, mainly covered by boat and birdwatching tours out of Faro, but for a hardy coastal lad like myself the draw of so many Gulls are worth the walk with Scope and backpack. When the road ends at Praia de Faro village a boardwalk carries on for over a mile then its sand trekking at Barrihina beach Ilha de Faro and sandbanks that go out of sight.
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| Yellow legged Gulls and Audouin`s Gull |
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| Nice flock of Audouins Gull with over 50 birds on an outer bank |
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| Lesser Black backed Gulls and Audouin`s Gulls |
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| Audouin`s Gull in flight |
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| Audouin`s Gull and Yellow legged Gulls |
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| Great black backed Gull sub adult locally scarce |
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| Yellow legged Gull adult |
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| Yellow legged Gull 1st winter |
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| Slender billed Gull flight |
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| Slender billed Gulls |
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Lets not forget the Caspain Terns |
A walk up toward the end of the beach Island of Praia de Faro you come to the start of deserted sandbanks of Barrinha beach that offer shelter and safety to thousands of Gulls. Flamingos, Cormorants and Waders. I was hoping for a new Gull.
A fisherman walks past, and keeps walking, I keep an eye on him in the scope as hes heading toward a far away sandbank containing loads of birds. I waited
There was plenty of Audouin`s Gulls with the Thousands of Yellow legged and Lesser Blacked Gulls to go through . Caspain Tern and Sandwitch Tern were also available.
Up they go in the distance [thanks fisherman}with a good few gulls coming my way. 1 adult Slender-billed Gull past me and I wasnt `100% sure then and I picked up 8 Slender-billed Gulls in the scope as they approached they flew onto the sandbanks that I was viewing , they stayed a bit distant but decent scope views and an opportunity for some phoneskoping.
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| With 8 possible Slender billed Gull heading my way.. its not until now that Im home checking my photos to find an Osprey on the sandbank...A life at the shoreline. |
I was visiting family and friends during the morning when suddenly I was granted a few hours to my self.
I headed to Cefn Bryn on the Gower, an upland heath with Gorse patches that was up behind a friends home, where I believed I could find Dartford Warbler, a species that has re established residency in south Wales but still remains one of Wales rarest breeding birds
I had tried looking in other locations where they have been seen previous over the last few visits home to Wales with no joy.
The !Bryn! was quiet, wet, yet the day had improved. I geared up and took a walk into the horse tracks watching for movement, listening for any calls.
My path opened up and I stopped as I found some impenetrable low fresh Gorse , this time movement caught my eye, and set back in the thicket a Male Dartford Warbler showed a few times for me as he checked me out.. I adjusted my light angle.
This time I was fortunate to come across a pair holding Territory . Once I was checked out they both moved back deep into the Gorse thicket.
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| female |
